Jun 23, 2026
The University of Utah Department of Internal Medicine recognized faculty achievements during its 2026 Faculty Awards & Promotions Ceremony, honoring faculty members for accomplishments in clinical care, research, mentorship, education, service, promotion, and tenure.
Hosted by Department Chair John M. Inadomi, MD, the ceremony brought together faculty, department leadership, donors, and guests to celebrate the contributions of faculty members across the department.
Learn more about the Department of Internal Medicine Faculty Awards here.
2026 Faculty Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement Award: Elizabeth A. Leibold, PhD
Elizabeth A. Leibold, PhD, is a Professor in the Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine. She holds an adjunct appointment as a Professor of Oncological Sciences at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and is a member of the Nuclear Control of Cell Growth and Differentiation program. Dr. Leibold is an active and productive member of the scientific community, serving as a reviewer for multiple scholarly journals including Blood, Science, Cell, Genetics, the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta-BBA, and the EMBO Journal.
Service to the Department Award: George M. Rodgers III, MD, PhD
George M. Rodgers, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Hematologic Malignancies, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He started at the University of Utah in 1988. He is the senior adult hemophilia and thrombosis expert in the state of Utah, and also serves as a classical hematology expert for - and receives referrals and consultations from - a six state region. His clinical practice is conducted at the University of Utah's Sugarhouse Clinic. He is the chairman of the University Hospital Adverse Drug Reaction Subcommittee. He is also a principal investigator for clinical trials and the Associate Director of the Utah Center for Bleeding and Clotting Disorders.
Thomas H. Caine Award for Clinical Excellence: Donald Stromquist, MD
Don Stromquist, MD, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah. He is a general clinical rheumatologist who sees patients with all forms of rheumatic disease. He received a Bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Utah, and his medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT. He completed his internal medicine residency and chief residency at the Boston City Hospital in Boston, MA, and a rheumatology fellowship at Boston University Arthritis Center. He practiced rheumatology in Salt Lake City, Utah for over twenty years prior to joining the University of Utah School Of Medicine in 2015.
Thomas H. Caine Award for Clinical Excellence Nominees:
- T. Jared Bunch, MD (Cardiovascular Medicine)
- Roger Freedman, MD (Cardiovascular Medicine)
- Fuad Shihab, MD (Nephrology)
- Marie Couldwell, MD (Endocrinology)
- Fred Gottlieb, MD, MPH (Geriatrics)
- Andrew Courtwright, MD, PhD (Pulmonary Medicine)
- Don Stromquist, MD (Rheumatology)
- Saundra Buys, MD (Oncology)
William D. Odell and Margaret F. Odell Junior Investigator Award: Amiko Uchida, MD
Amiko Uchida, MD is a gastroenterologist at the University of Utah School of Medicine and specializes in caring for and conducting research focused on patients with immune disorders of the GI tract, such as eosinophilic GI disease (EGID) and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Dr. Uchida is a Utah-native and obtained her medical degree from the University of Utah before going on to train in internal medicine at the University of Washington and gastroenterology at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she also completed EGID and IBD training. She has particular interest and expertise in the increasingly common, yet poorly understood disease called eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) as well as other eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases. She is the Co-Director of the University of Utah Multidisciplinary Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Clinic.
William D. Odell and Margaret F. Odell Junior Investigator Award Nominees:
- Thomas Hanff, MD, MSCE, MPH (Cardiovascular Medicine)
- Amiko Uchida, MD (Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition)
- Katharine Walter, PhD (Epidemiology)
John R. Hoidal Senior Investigator Award: Neeraj Agarwal, MD, FASCO, PhD
Neeraj Agarwal, MD, FASCO, PhD, is a Professor of Medicine and a Presidential Endowed Chair of Cancer Research at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI), University of Utah. He also directs the Genitourinary Oncology (GU) Program and the Center of Investigational Therapeutics (CIT) at the HCI. Dr. Agarwal is a medical oncologist and an internationally recognized physician-scientist in the field of genitourinary cancers, particularly prostate cancer. He has received the SWOG Young Investigator Award, the William D. Odell Young Investigator Award, and a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award, and recognition as a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO). Dr. Agarwal also serves as the Senior Director (aka Associate Director) of clinical research, overseeing the clinical and late translation research at the HCI, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center.
John R. Hoidal Senior Investigator Award Nominees:
- Josef Stehlik, MD, MPH (Cardiovascular Medicine)
- D. Walter Wray, PhD, MSc (Geriatrics)
- Richard Nelson, PhD (Epidemiology)
- Neeraj Agarwal, MD, FASCO (Oncology)
- Makoto Jones, MD, MS (Epidemiology)
Guy A. Zimmerman, MD Faculty Mentoring Award: Maureen Murtaugh, PhD, RD
Maureen Murtaugh, PhD, RD, is a Professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Epidemiology in the School of Medicine at the University of Utah and an investigator of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. As an Nutrition Epidemiologist, her research interests include diet and dietary patterns as they influence chronic diseases, such as cancer. Dr. Murtaugh received her doctoral degree in Nutritional Sciences from The University of Connecticut and received training in epidemiology in the Division of Epidemiology the University of Minnesota. In the past, Dr. Murtaugh served as Director of the Dietetic Internship and Associate Professor at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center · Rush University. This combination of clinical, and research experience is useful in her collaborations with clinicians regarding the relationship of diet to diseases including cancer, systemic sclerosis, kidney and heart disease, and obesity.
DOIM Resident Mentor of the Year Award: Spencer Carter, MD
Spencer Carter, MD, was born in Boise Idaho. He graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame with a major in Science Business. He received his medical degree from the University of Washington. He then trained at the University of Texas Southwestern where he completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine. He continued at UTSW, completing fellowships in Cardiovascular Disease and Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology, winning several excellence in teaching awards. In addition to advanced heart failure, mechanical circulatory support, and transplant, Dr. Carter has a clinical expertise in infiltrative cardiomyopathies and cardiac amyloidosis. His academic interest is in implementation science, quality improvement, and medical education.
M. Paul Southwick Prize for Clinical Excellence and Teaching Award: Gabrielle Langmann, MD, MS
Gabrielle ("Gab") Langmann, MD, MS, is a hospice and palliative medicine specialist with the Supportive and Palliative Care program at University of Utah Health and Huntsman Cancer Institute. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she earned undergraduate degrees in English literature and anthropology and her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed a combined internal medicine and pediatrics residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where she served as chief resident, followed by fellowship training in hospice and palliative medicine and a Master of Science in medical education. Dr. Langmann is board certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, and hospice and palliative medicine, and is a fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The department also recognized faculty members who achieved promotion and tenure during the past academic year.
Promotion to Associate Professor
- Afaf Osman, MD
- Anees Daud, MD
- Anna L. Parks, MD
- Benjamin J. Brintz, PhD
- Christopher Nevala-Plagemann, MD, MSCI
- George G. Vega Yon, MSci, PhD
- Ghulam Rehman (Manni) Mohyuddin, MBBS
- Jared Huber, MD
- Lara Hayes, MD
- Libo Wang, MD
- Lindsey A. Fitzgerald, MD
- Matthew Steenblik, MD
- Michael Walker, MD
- Peter Weir, MD
- Tawnie J. Braaten, MD
Promotion to Associate Professor and Award of Tenure
- A. Taylor Kelley, MD, MPH, MS
Promotion to Professor
- Ann Flynn, MD
- Bert K. Lopansri, MD
- Cheryl Pirozzi, MD, MSCI
- Deborah Neklason, PhD
- Douglas W. Sborov, MD, MS
- Glynn Weldon Gilcrease, MD
- Heloisa P. Soares, MD, PhD
- Katherine Lappé, MD
- Laith F. Al-Rabadi, MD
- Lillian Khor, MSCI, MB BCh, MRCP(UK)
- Lynn Keenan, MD, FACP, FCP
- Marie F. Couldwell, MD
- Ming Y. Lim, MBBCh, MS
- Natalie Sanders, DO
- Peter Yarbrough, MD
- Sanjeev Raman, MBBS, MD
- Sarah V. Colonna, MD
- Siwen Hu-Lieskovan, PhD, MD
- Vanessa Stevens, PhD
Award of Tenure
- Adrienne M. Dorrance, PhD
- Jamie P. Dwyer, MD
- Jens Lohr, MD, PhD
- Julia E. Szymczak, PhD
- Shannon Elf, PhD
Emeritus Faculty
The department also recognized faculty members who received emeritus status:
- Boaz Markewitz, MD
- Alun Thomas, PhD, BSc
- Alan Morris, MD
- Christopher Carlisle, MD
- Fred Gottlieb, MD, MPH
- G. Paul Eleazer, MD, FACP
Congratulations to all faculty members recognized during this year's ceremony.